Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S7 edge: Which should you choose?

They replace the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, making some of the best smartphones even better. But if you're in the market for a new smartphone, which should you pick?

There's a lot that's similar about these handsets, but there are some key differences too. One of those differences is size and another is price, but how much does that matter? We've drilled through the details to help you decide exactly which Galaxy S7 you should choose.

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 edge: Design

While last year's flagship phones were similar in size, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge differ in that the latter is significantly larger. That's because it uses a 5.5-inch screen rather than the 5.1-inch display found on the standard SGS7.

The Galaxy S7 measures 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9mm, while the Galaxy S7 edge is 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7mm. For those with smaller hands, the SGS7 is likely to be more comfortable to use one-handed, as it's easier to grip.

There's not too much between them in weight, at 152g and 157g respectively. Although they share similar designs, specifically on the rear, which is rounded on both devices, the curved display of the S7 edge makes for a much more striking design. The SGS7 by comparison is more conservative.

There is water and dust proofing on each to IP68 standards, adding protection from the elements, a definite advantage.

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 edge: Display

The screen sizes on the two handsets are different, making a departure from the positioning on the old SGS6 models. The Samsung Galaxy S7 has a 5.1-inch display, while the Galaxy S7 edge has a 5.5-inch screen.

They are both Quad HD Super AMOLED displays, so have resolutions of 2560 x 1440. And that means the smaller of the two actually has the better pixels per inch ratio, at 577ppi over 534ppi.

From at both side-to-side, you can barely tell the difference in sharpness or clarity, but the curved edge makes a difference. Where the flat panel of the SGS7 looks great, the S7 edge is more exciting. Not only is that display bigger, but the way it drops off at the edges gives it a seamless feel. On the SGS7 your eye just runs across the display into the bezel, on the S7 edge, it doesn't.

If you're all about the display, there's only one choice: the SGS7 edge is top dog here.

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 edge: Camera

Both devices have exactly the same front and rear cameras. The rear camera on each has a 12-megapixel sensor, which might seem low spec in comparison to rivals. But as each pixel is larger - 1.4µm - it is capable of capturing more light than most and is therefore better in low light conditions.

Add to that an aperture of f/1.7 and you have a phone camera that shouldn't have any issues with indoor photography. There is also Dual Pixel technology on board designed to improve autofocus speed.

The camera on both the SGS7 and the SGS7 edge is excellent. It's packed with features to make it simple to use, offering up consistent results through a variety of conditions. It you want more control, there's the Pro mode - also offering raw capture, as well as Ultra HD video capture and a whole lot more. There is an f/1.7 5-megapixel snapper on the front of both phones.

Whichever S7 model you choose, you'll get a great camera experience.

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 edge: Power and hardware

Both devices contain the same processing unit, although there will be two different processors used depending on the market and carrier. In several regions, including the UK and Europe, the chipset will be of Samsung's own making - the Exynos 8 Octa.

The other processor is a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 64-bit chip, which will appear in some other markets, including the US. To ensure that graphically intensive operations, such as gaming, do not cause overheating, there is a small water-cooled heatsink in each phone. There is 4GB of LDDR4 RAM on both.

Again, there may be differences between the Exynos and Qualcomm versions, but there's no difference in performance between these handset. Both are slick and fast and offer a great performance.

Both phones also offer microSD card expansion to increase the storage.

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 edge: Battery

The battery is one area of the internal hardware that differs between the two devices. The Galaxy S7 has a 3,000mAh battery, while the Galaxy S7 edge sports a 3,600mAh alternative.

There are efficiencies in the hardware as well as a lot of optimisation in the software to make these phones last longer than they did in the past. The SGS7 edge's larger battery is obviously the way to go for more sheer storage and our experience is that this phone will last a little longer than the S7 - depending what you do with it, of course.

Both phones offer wireless charging, but more importantly they both support fast charging too. It's the SGS7 edge for power users then.

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 edge: Software

Both phones come with Samsung's TouchWiz on top of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Both these phones offer the same software experience, fusing Marshmallow's latest improvements with Samsung's functions.

There's only one small difference, however: the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge also has sidebar features that can be brought up through swiping its screen from that curved edge. They can show contacts, news feeds, apps or tasks and these can be customised to your requirements.

The edge can also act as a night clock, so there's a small amount of information on the display for you to glance at when you're in bed. The edge can also be used to alert you to calls when the phone is face down on a table.

Overall it's the same experience, but obviously with a few extras for the curved edges.

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 edge: Price

As the larger device, the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge is naturally the more expensive of the two.

An unlocked 32GB Galaxy S7 edge will set you back £639 on Samsung's own webstore, while a 32GB SGS7 costs £569. That's £70 difference for a larger display and battery, but also for those luscious curves.

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 edge: Conclusion

The best part of the story surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge is that whichever you choose you'll get a good experience. These are true flagship handsets and two of 2016's hottest smartphones.

The regular SGS7 is smaller and more conservative. The flat display is more conventional, but it might suit those with smaller hands and smaller pockets. The SGS7 edge brings better looks - we love the display edges - and it's a look that will still turn heads.

The SGS7 edge has the advantage in battery life, and there's those added functions to support the edge.